Chancellor Gordon Brown has criticised Europe for lack of competitiveness and rigidity, suggesting its leaders would do well to learn from Britain?s economic success. Brown, the second most powerful man in politics, made his criticism the day after a meeting of EU finance ministers at which he trumpeted Britain?s recent economic recovery and bemoaned euro zone weakness.

?Europe?s rigidities, inflexibilities and lack of competitiveness, which could once be sheltered in the era of trade blocs, are now fully exposed in the era of global competition,? he wrote in an article in the Daily Telegraph. He said Europe must move beyond ?hort-termist? fiscal policy, adopt a proactive and independent competition regime, follow Britain?s example on unemployment, and abandon ?grandiose schemes? for harmonising taxes. Brown called on the European Union?s member states to work towards reopening WTO negotiations and removing trade barriers between Europe and the United States. ?Our rejection of a federal European state and support for an outward-looking and flexible European Union is not a British obsession, but can become, we believe, the settled view of most of Europe.?